Blood and Guts
Then today I came across something that freaks me out even more. Take a look at this story on NPR.
Yup, that’s right. According to this story on NPR, the average person carries ten times more bacterial cells than human cells in their body. TEN TIMES MORE.
I’ve known for a long time that there are microbes occupying our bodies and helping everything work well. But I never considered that their combined number is more than my own cells. It’s one thing to know that I’m a walking, talking ball of mostly empty space with some water thrown in. It’s an entirely other thing to consider that most of the body I think I occupy is actually occupied by other life forms.
But then I thought about it for a while and realized this is just another reminder that we are so NOT alone. Even our bodies are ecosystems. It’s probably more accurate to say that my body is not “mine,” it’s “ours.” Just like the planet we live on and the communities we are a part of – they are “ours.” And thinking of it that way is the only way we’ll heal them.
Now if only I could stop getting the creepy crawlies when I think about all the other creatures living on my skin!
Comments
Great post! Thanx for sharing!
I, too, have always been fascinated that we're 70 percent water, that we're mostly space, and now this – but of course!